Readers' comments

The parking space race could be avoided. There are a few possibilities. For example, one could be that notification of an open space would be sent only to the vehicle nearest the space. The vehicle and the space sensor would then intercommunicate in such a way that only the legitimate vehicle could park there. Cheaters (those who spotted the open space but didn't receive the official go ashead) would have a substantial fine added to their accounts.This is just a sketch. Refinements would need to be added.

By the way, Economist, the metre is a unit of measurement, whereas a meter is a device for measuring (such as a thermometer). Americans (and the Economist, apparently) ignore such useful distinctions.

There is little doubt that demand for parking spots is relatively inelastic, so the price at peek parking times will be very high indeed if an open space or two is always to be made available. San Francisco is already a city for rich people only; will this make it even more so? Will the politicians start handing out discounts for the elderly, pregnant women, parents of children, etc., with the concommitant loss of efficiency?

For an efficient market, the price changes should apply to everyone who is already parked. But if that is the case, the price for parking beyond the first short interval will be unknown when the car is first parked. Unless the spot sends a text message with the new rate every 15 minutes, the system lacks the transparency to be an efficient market.

Hello. Some of the mentioned technology (like a centralized database collecting info about the availability of parking spaces and displaying it along with road-signs in electronic boards) is already available in Italy. Only the use of smart-dust seems to be novel. Kalyanwww.tcs.tifr.res.in/~kalyan

Once cars and parking meters are connected together via Wi-Fi I predict a new urban hazard, the 'Parking Spot Race' that starts when, simultaneously on hundreds of cars looking for parking, the dashboard monitor lights up with the location of the sole remaining vacant parking spot and then all the circling cars' online navigation systems kick in to determine the quickest route to it. All drivers then race to be the first one to get to it.

One possible solution; suppose the cars' on-board computers are connected to a central parking spot auction server and the drivers' bank accounts. Pre-program the maximum amount you are willing to pay to park and then let the auction computer award the spot to the highest bidder with charges starting immediately.